Any cannon cockers here? Oops!

roundgunner · #1 01-13-2010, 10:09 PM

therevjay · #2 01-13-2010, 10:17 PM

I reaaallly hope, that happend in somebody elses Army. I was a tanker, not a 'cannon cocker' but the FIRST thing anyone was taught in armor school was, after you push the rd. into the breech, get the hell out from behind it. BEFORE you flip the safty to 'fire', or give a 'up'!

jimmyj · #3 01-13-2010, 10:20 PM

I don't think he will forget next time.

n4zov · #4 01-13-2010, 10:22 PM

Looks like a WW2 vintage U.S. M1 57mm anti-tank gun, but something about the breech mechanism doesn't look right.

Gutpile Charlie · #5 01-13-2010, 11:06 PM

I was a cannon cocker....by default. My MOS was 310.00, Field Communication Crewman...(laid telephone wire), however in a reserve unit I worked on a gun crew for an 8" towed howitzer.

Never went through the school at Fort Sill, but still got to shoot the howitzer.

Damn, that's fun!

InolaOK · #6 01-13-2010, 11:55 PM

I can't imagine conducting an operation without tube artillery being on call. King of Battle

11Bravo. Queen of Battle.
11B5PH

Dennis The B · #7 01-14-2010, 12:42 AM

Artillery brings class to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl.

Cyrano · #8 01-14-2010, 12:45 AM

I was trained on the old 105 howitzer. You loaded the thing from the side, only your arm was behind the breech. Nobody was between the trails when firing, either.

dennis40x · #9 01-14-2010, 08:51 AM

We had two individuals severely injured firing H&I missions. Apparently the breach block hadn’t fully rotated close. Upon firing the breach block was torn from the mounting points. The projectile stayed with in the tube. Both individuals as previously mentioned were severely injured with burns and other trauma.

0846 Artillery Scout Observer (This military occupation is obsolete)

Selects observation posts. Sets up and operated observation instruments. Establishes communication with infantry and artillery organizations. Informs artillery organizations of enemy activity, location of friendly troops, and other pertinent intelligence data. Request, observes, and conducts artillery fire and reports the results to the fire direction center. May perform the duties of an artillery forward observer.

0811 Field Artillery Cannoneer

As a member of a field artillery howitzer battery, cannoneers prepare artillery pieces and equipment for movement, combat, and firing. They inspect and prepare ammunition for firing, and perform the various jobs incident to firing such as, laying for elevation and deflection, loading the piece, and handling ammunition. Field artillery cannoneers perform preventive maintenance and clean artillery pieces and equipment. They make routine tests and authorize repairs to equipment. Camouflage position, protect equipment from chemical warfare agents, and construct field fortifications

On my discharge DD-214(??) I had no transferrable skill other than I could be a small arms proof tester. Not much call for that occupation as a civilian.

Pardon me I can’t hear you please speak louder!

snakeman32 · #10 01-14-2010, 11:22 AM

I was not a cannon cocker but was MLRS (rockets and missiles). I did get a chance to shoot a Paladin a couple of times over in Korea.

snakeman

NCTexan · #11 01-14-2010, 11:38 AM

I was an 0802 FDO and FO in an M110 Eight Inch Howitzer battery.

Don't want to be standing behind the breech when it goes boom.

sjmjax · #12 01-14-2010, 02:01 PM

Do amatures count? That's my 25mm French Puteaux AT gun in my avatar photo. Regularly shoot it at events around the country. Mine's only about 100,000 ft/lbs of muzzle energy. Still wouldn't want to get in the way of the recoiling breech.

I'm the small kid on the block. Here's a video of some of my friends & fellow shooters and their toys. Cannons, machine guns, flamethrows, oh my!

Sometimes it's amazing what is in private hands.

Extreme Shooting with Damage.llc Video

11B Lifer · #13 01-14-2010, 02:40 PM

No, but my son is an Airborne Artillery Captain. He's on his third tour, this time to Afghanistan-and he has 14 tubes and an Infantry Company. 173rd Airborne. Hunting terrorists.
In the late 80's while running a range in Germany-a platoon of M1s moved on line and the first round fired-a loader had his leg behind the breach-Busted knee-off to the hospital.